Suction cleaners



June 26, 1962 D. c. GERBER SUCTION CLEANERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21. 1960 June 26, 1962 D. c. GERBER SUCTION CLEANERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 21. 1960 June 26, 1962 D. c. GERBER SUCTION CLEANERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 21. 1960 Fig. 5

June 26, 1962 D. c. GERBER 3,040,365

SUCTION CLEANERS Filed March 21. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. .9

3,040,365 SUCTION CLEANERS Dale -C. Gerber, North Canton, Ghio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 16,330 8 Claims. (Cl. 15354) The present invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to combining the high suction feature of a straight air type cleaner and the surface agitation principle of an upright cleaner.

In suction cleaners of the straight air type the nozzle inlet is restricted in size in comparison to a cleaner having surface agitating means and thus provides higher suc tion and lower air flow to clean surfaces. In upright cleaners having surface agitating means the nozzle inlet is of relatively large area to accommodate the agitating means as it travels. along the surface undergoing cleaning and as a result, in comparison to the straight air cleaner, the suction pressure is less and the air flow greater.

An object of the present invention is to provide a suction cleaner having agitating means projecting through a nozzle inlet of less size than the surface area being cleaned in the cleaning path of the agitating means. Another object is to provide a suction cleaner with a nozzle inlet which is displaceable along the cleaning path to receive agitating means and to move therewith as the agitating means travels in its cleaning path. A further object is to provide the aforesaid suction cleaner with means driven by the agitating means for effecting coordinated movement of the nozzle inlet and agitating means along the path being cleaned. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the suction cleaner in which the invention is embodied,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the cleaner nozzle showing the displaceable nozzle inlet in its central position,

FIGURE 3 is a section along the line 33 in FIG- URE 2,

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are views of the drive means for displacing the nozzle inlet with the latter shown respectively in its forward, central and rear positions,

FIGURES 7 and 8 are views of another embodiment of the drive means showing the nozzle inlet in its forward and rearward positions, and

FIGURE 9 is a top view of FIGURE 7 with the nozzle housing broken away. 7

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIG- URES 1 to 6 comprises a cleaner body 10having a nozzle 11, and a dirty air exhaust outlet 12 to which is removably attached a filter bag 13 suspended at its upper end from a handle 14 pivotally mounted on the body 10. A housing 15 encloses an unshown motor which drives a suction creating fan 16 communicating with a suction air passageway 17 and the exhaust outlet 12. The cleaner body 10 is supported on front and rear wheels 18.

Forming part of the suction air passageway 17 is a bottom plate 19 having a flat platform portion 20 provided with an elongated opening 21 extending transversely of the body 10 between the opposite side walls 22 of the body. Overlying and displaceable along the platform 20 is a nozzle plate 23 having its opposite end portions 24 seated between the platform 20 and the flange 25 of a retaining member 26 attached to each side Wall 22 of the nozzle by a plurality of screws 27. Formed in the nozzle plate 23 is an elongated nozzle inlet 28 for entrance of a dirt laden air stream into the suction air passageway 17.

} ttes atent ice Agitating means indicated generally at 30 are disposed -within the nozzle 11 and includes a stationary shaft 31 the opposite ends 32 of which are suitably mounted in a projection 33 on the nozzle end walls 22. A cylindrical agitator body 34 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 31 and is provided with a central annular depression 35 in which is arranged a belt 36 extending to the motor pulley 3-7 for driving the agitator. Two pairs of agitating members 38 and 39 are mounted on the agitator body 34 in diametric opposed relation and are arranged longitudinally of the agitator body and are adapted to project downwardly through the nozzle inlet 28 and the bottom plate 21 into engagement with the surface to be cleaned.

The cleaning path of each agitating member 38 and 39 as it travels along the surface undergoing cleaning is indicated by the arcuate dotted line 41 and it will be noted in FIGURE 2 that such path is of greater area than the nozzle inlet 23 and accordingly drive means are provided to displace the nozzle inlet 28 rearwardly as the agitating body 34 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow 42.

The drive means include a pair of forward gear wheels 43 rigidly mounted on the opposite ends of the agitator body 34 and a pair of rear gear wheels 44 each rotatably supported on a pin 45 fixedly secured in a boss 46 on each side wall 22 of the body. The forward gearwheels 43 are provided with teeth 47 which engage teeth 48 on the rear gear wheels 44 to rotate the latter. Formed integrally on each front gearwheel 43 is a rib 49 terminating at its opposite ends in cams 50 and. 51. The rear gear wheels 44 are also each provided with a rib 52 having terminal cams 53 and 54 whereby rotation of the front drive wheels 43 causes the cams 50-51 and 5354 to be rotated. Formed integrally at the opposite end portions of the nozzle plate 23 is an upstanding rib 55 on each-of which is provided a front cam surface 56 and a rear cam surface 57. The cams 5051 on the front drive wheels 43 are adapted to successively engage the front cam surfaces 56 to displace the nozzle plate 23 rearwardly and the cams 53-54 on the driven wheels 44 engage the rear cam surfaces 57 to return the nozzle plate to its initial forward position. Forward movement of the nozzle plate 23 is limited by a plurality of spaced stops 60 formed by extending the nozzle front wall 61 to the bottom plate 20. Spaced indentations 62 are formed in the bottom plate 20 and against which the rear edge 63 of the nozzle plate 23 abuts to limit rearward movement of the latter.

In operating this embodiment of the invention the motor is energized to rotate the fan 16 which creates suction at the nozzle inlet 28 causing the floor covering to be lifted into contact with the nozzle platform 20' and nozzle plate 23 and dirt laden air passes through the nozzle inlet 28 into the air passageway 17 and then into the filter bag 13 which removes the dirt from the air stream. The motor also drives the belt 36 to rotate the agitator body 34, front gears 43 and cams S051 about the axis of the fixed shaft 31 in the direction indicated by the arrow 42. The front gear teeth 47 being in engagement with the rear gear teeth 48 rotate the rear gear Wheels 44 and the rear cams 53-54 in the opposite direction'indicated by the arrow 65.

The front and rear cams are arranged with respect to each other so htat the front cams 50 engage the front cam surfaces 56 to move the nozzle inlet 28 to its rear position shown in FIGURE 6, the rear cams 54 then engage the rear cam surfaces 57 to return the nozzle inlet 28 to its initial front position in FIGURE 4, thereafter the other front earns 51 contact the front cam surfaces 56 to again move the nozzle inlet to the rear whereupon the cams 53 contact the rear cam surfaces 57 to return the nozzle inlet 28 to its initial position. The forward and rearward movementof the nozzle plate 23 is limited by engaging the stops 60 and 62.

During rotation of the agitator body 34 the surface agitating members 38 and 39 are also moving into and out of the nozzle inlet 28. While the front cams 50 engage the cam surfaces 56 the agitating members 38 follow the cleaning path .indicated by the arcuate line 41 and project through the translating nozzle inlet 28 into engagement with the surface undergoing cleaning. The other surface cleaning members 39 also travel the cleaning path 41 while the front cams 51 are contacting the cam surfaces 56 to shift the nozzle inlet 28 rearwardly.

Thus it will be apparent that the forward and rearward displacement of the nozzle inlet 28 is coordinated with the rotating agitator 34 to successively receive the surface agitating members 38 and 39 while the nozzle inlet is moving rearwardly in the cleaning path of the agitator. In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIG- URES 7 to 9 an agitator 70 is provided with surface engaging member 71 and 72 and at its opposite ends has a cam wheel 73 each having a rib 74 terminating in earns 75 and 76. A nozzle plate 77 is slidably mounted on the bottom plate 78 and is provided with an inlet 79 for alternate reception of the surface cleaning members 71 and 72. The nozzle plate 77 is provided at its opposite ends with an upstanding flange having a cam surface 80 which engages the earns 75 and 76 to displace the nozzle inlet 79 rearwardly. A plurality of compression springs 81 are interposed between the upright Wall portion 82 of the bottom plate 78 and spaced lugs 83 on the nozzle plate 77 and function to successively return the nozzle plate 77 to its forward position shown in FIG- URE 7, when the cams 75 and 76 move out of engagement with the .cam surfaces 80.

Forward movement of the nozzle plate 77 is arrested by a plurality of spaced stops 84 formed by downward extensions of the nozzle front wall 61. and the. rearward displacement is limited :by abutting the, spaced stops 85 formed lay-indentations in the bottom plate 78.

In operating the second embodiment of the invention the rotating agitator 70 causes the cams 75 to engage the cam surfaces 80 to displace the nozzle inlet 79 rearwardly'as shown in FIGURE 7. During rearward movement of the nozzle plate 77 the springs 81 are compressed and such movement is limited by the nozzle plate 77 abutting the rear stops 85. When the nozzle plate 77 is at its rear position the cams 75 are disconnected from the. cam surfaces 80 whereupon the springs 81 exert a force on the nozzle plate 77 to move the latter to its forward position into engagement with the front stops 84; At this time the other rotating cams 76 are in posi tion to engage the cam surfaces 80 causing the nozzle inlet 79 to' again move rearwardly and compress the springs'81. This reciprocation of the nozzle inlet 79 takes place while the agitator 70 is being rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 86. During rotation of the agitator 70 each of the cleaning members-71 and 72 travels in the cleaning path indicated by the dotted arcuate line 87 into engagement with the surface being cleaned.

From the foregoingit willbe perceived that the nozzle inlets 28 and 79 are displaced rearwardly in the cleaning path of the agitating members, and that the latter successively project through the nozzle inlets to clean a 4 surface area greater than the area of the nozzleinlets, to thereby provide a suction cleaner having a restricted nozzle inlet providing high suction and also means to periodically engage the surface undergoing cleaning.

While I have shown and described several embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that those embodiments are to be taken as illustrative-only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaningtool, a body including a nozzle, means defining an inlet to said nozzle and through which dirt laden air enters said nozzle from the surface being cleaned, means mounting said inlet means for translation of said inlet relative to said nozzle, agitating means movably mounted insaid nozzle and having a cleaning portion adapted to project through said inlet into engagement with the surface for movement in the same direction as said inlet to define a swept path during said translation of said inlet relative to said nozzle, said inlet being less in area than the area of said swept path, and drive means coordinating movement of said nozzle inlet and said agitator cleaning portiontoetfect said translation of said nozzle inlet along said agitator swept path as said agitator cleaning portion projects through, said inlet and travels said swept path.

2. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and said drive means including means for moving said surface engaging portion in one direction along said swept path.

3. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and said drive means including means for reciprocating said nozzle inlet, and means for projecting said surface engaging portion through said nozzle inlet as the latter travels in one direction along the said swept path.

4. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and said drive means including means for moving said agitating means, and means driven by said agitating means to effect said displacement of said nozzle inlet to receive said surface engaging portion as the latter travels along said swept path.

5. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 1 and said drive means includingmeans to move said nozzle inlet to an initial position to receive said surface engaging portion asthe latter and said nozzle inlet begin to travel in said swept path.

6. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 5, and said drive means for moving said nozzle inlet being driven by movement of said agitating means.

7. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 5, and said means for movingsaid nozzle inlet to its said initial position including spring means.

8. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and said drive means including means for reciprocating said nozzle inlet, and means moving saidsurface engaging portion in one direction for said projection through said nozzle inlet while said surface engaging'portion and nozzle inlet, are moving in the same direction along said swept path.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,820,350 Dance Aug. 25, 1931 1,996,921 Hoover Apr. 9, 1935 2,092,581 Kitto Sept. 7, 1937 2,253,289 Demaree et a1 Aug. 19., 1941 

